Sen. Obama on Race

'A More Perfect Union,'Philadelphia, March 18, 2008

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has until this point steered clear of any major discussion of racial issues, in part because it might risk diluting his promise to transcend race. But on Tuesday, in the wake of controversy sparked by racial comments made by his former pastor, he delivered a major speech on race relations in Philadelphia. "Race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now," he said.

The words "black" and "white" figured prominently in his address, and "Reverend" "Wright" and his "sermons" were also discussed prominently. "Race" was discussed more than "racism" and "discrimination," and "Asians," "hispanics" and "Latinos" all saw passing references. (Printable version of the speech, related article)